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zombie bank

American  

noun

Informal.

  1. a bank that has liabilities exceeding its assets but continues to operate through government support.

    These zombie banks are unable or unwilling to lend out money.

Etymology

Origin of zombie bank

1985–90; zombie, in the extended sense 'a body given the semblance of life'

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

"Who would want to buy a zombie bank?"

From The Wall Street Journal • Sep. 19, 2013

Says Hempton of Bronte Capital: "I own a zombie bank."

From Reuters • Sep. 9, 2011

Says Australian hedge fund manager John Hempton, whose Bronte Capital owns a sizable stake in Bank of America: "I own a zombie bank."

From Reuters • Sep. 9, 2011

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.